Winter fuel claims rise by 44 percent in two years

A record 50,000 expats in Spain claimed winter fuel allowance last winter – up 44pc since the winter of 2011-12. The numbers of recipients of winter fuel allowance living abroad – including in hot countries like Spain, Greece and Cyprus – has risen to record levels.
A total 139,000 people were paid the benefit for the last winter, Government figures reveal.
The comparable figure for two years previously – the winter of 2011-12 – was 75,000.